Newborn joining family- how much should raise for nanny be?

[Anonymous]

I went from $16 to $20 when the second baby was born. I stayed. If I'd been at $20 to start I'd have expected a $1-$2 raise. I do think if you can bring her up to $20 that is much more in line for a great nanny who has sole charge of two-under-two.

[Anonymous]

Forgot to add: FWIW, when I moved on to another field, the family took 7 months to find a replacement nanny they loved. (Grandparents shouldered childcare the vast majority of that time.) It all depends on what your priorities are and how difficult it is to find a nanny who meets all of your criteria. The more difficult to find, or the more difficult you are to work for, the more you want to keep someone you've already on-boarded.

[Anonymous]

Also your city or suburb in the U.S.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, there are endless threads here about this - all of which pretty much are reflected in the first few responses you have received.

What appears to be typical in the field (based on the MBs who replied in many other threads) is one or two dollars per hour raise. Most nannies seem to prefer long-term employment over job-hopping and many find that level of increase acceptable. A $2 per hour raise on a $17/hr position is a little more than 10%. If you can do $3 that's great, but that really starts adding up if you have some number of hours of overtime also.

If you advertise a position like the one you will be hiring for in a few months (newborn and toddler, fulltime) you could list it at $16-19/hr and you would be flooded with qualified, experienced, legal applicants.

So, invest what you can in the employee you have now if it's someone you hope to retain for the long term. But don't feel terrified about the vitriol you will hear on this site about what you are paying. You are already paying a fair and competitive market rate, which many people would take for more than one child.

Congrats on your baby!

This is exactly right.

Also, don't be swayed by the red herring argument that a nanny's workload doubles with a new baby. Professional nannies know that is crazy. A 10% raise for a new baby is a very large and attractive raise and your overall rate is well within market rates in this area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Newborn rates are $25/hr for one baby in the DC area. This of course is for legal, trained and experienced nannies, not the popular underground slave trade economy I see at the parks in the wealthy neighborhoods.

Huh?! That is nuts. I don't anyone paying their child care provider $25/hr in DC.

[Anonymous]

don't KNOW, that is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I went from $16 to $20 when the second baby was born. I stayed. If I'd been at $20 to start I'd have expected a $1-$2 raise. I do think if you can bring her up to $20 that is much more in line for a great nanny who has sole charge of two-under-two.

A four dollar increase is within reason. Two dollars is certainly not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went from $16 to $20 when the second baby was born. I stayed. If I'd been at $20 to start I'd have expected a $1-$2 raise. I do think if you can bring her up to $20 that is much more in line for a great nanny who has sole charge of two-under-two.

A four dollar increase is within reason. Two dollars is certainly not.

A 2$/hr raise is over 10%. This is a huge raise. Most standard raises, in every other field, ranges from 3-5%, tops, on a yearly basis. Since another baby in no way means double the work, expecting triple a yearly raise is crazy. Expecting even more than that (4$/hr is ridiculous) shows what an uneducated non professional you are and I can guarantee you will always be looking for work.

Smart nannies understand economics and price themselves on the best end of market rates and know how and when to request rate increases.

[Anonymous]

Smart nannies know newborn care cost $25-35/hr, just for the baby.

[Anonymous]

Smart nannies know newborn care cost $25-35/hr, just for the baby.

Who is this strange lady? Seems like she comes out of the woodwork whenever there is a thread one this topic. She's delusional at best.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went from $16 to $20 when the second baby was born. I stayed. If I'd been at $20 to start I'd have expected a $1-$2 raise. I do think if you can bring her up to $20 that is much more in line for a great nanny who has sole charge of two-under-two.

A four dollar increase is within reason. Two dollars is certainly not.

A 2$/hr raise is over 10%. This is a huge raise. Most standard raises, in every other field, ranges from 3-5%, tops, on a yearly basis. Since another baby in no way means double the work, expecting triple a yearly raise is crazy. Expecting even more than that (4$/hr is ridiculous) shows what an uneducated non professional you are and I can guarantee you will always be looking for work.

Smart nannies understand economics and price themselves on the best end of market rates and know how and when to request rate increases.

Sometimes you have to give a generous raise when you discover your rates are under market, though. $20/hr is absolutely standard for two-under-two; maybe even a little low but certainly not offensive. With all of the responsibilities of that type of job, (which, have you ever done it? With kids that weren't yours?) do you really want to underpay and not get the most qualified or experienced or reliable person you can??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Newborn rates are $25/hr for one baby in the DC area. This of course is for legal, trained and experienced nannies, not the popular underground slave trade economy I see at the parks in the wealthy neighborhoods.

No they aren't. Had a very nice $15/hr legal, experienced nanny in upper NW for one newborn. There is no such thing as a "trained" nanny ; all nanny training is on the job unless you are a Norlander.

There are nannies out there that are newborn care specialists and do make a lot more than a run of the mill nanny. There is a lot of training and class work that go along with the certification.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went from $16 to $20 when the second baby was born. I stayed. If I'd been at $20 to start I'd have expected a $1-$2 raise. I do think if you can bring her up to $20 that is much more in line for a great nanny who has sole charge of two-under-two.

A four dollar increase is within reason. Two dollars is certainly not.

A 2$/hr raise is over 10%. This is a huge raise. Most standard raises, in every other field, ranges from 3-5%, tops, on a yearly basis. Since another baby in no way means double the work, expecting triple a yearly raise is crazy. Expecting even more than that (4$/hr is ridiculous) shows what an uneducated non professional you are and I can guarantee you will always be looking for work.

Smart nannies understand economics and price themselves on the best end of market rates and know how and when to request rate increases.

Sometimes you have to give a generous raise when you discover your rates are under market, though. $20/hr is absolutely standard for two-under-two; maybe even a little low but certainly not offensive. With all of the responsibilities of that type of job, (which, have you ever done it? With kids that weren't yours?) do you really want to underpay and not get the most qualified or experienced or reliable person you can??

Sure, if you were paying under market, and the nanny turns out to be great and you want to give a generous raise, that's great. But that wasn't OP's issue. She is paying $17 for one child. In DC that is standard. If she goes up to $19/hr, she has given a very generous raise, and is also still within the average market rate in the area. That's how things should work. I don't know where you live but $20/hr is not low for two kids in DC, unless you're talking about a share, which I think should be higher because working with two separate families is an extra complication. However, the job of taking care of two small children in and of itself is not difficult nor is it worth $25/hr in this area. It just isn't.

I think you bring up a good point about qualifications and experience. This is where it gets flexible for nannies and allows them to attempt to command above market rates. Different families want different things. Some families want a nanny with ECE qualifications or SN experience. If you aren't getting candidates with those qualifications, you will have to pay above market. Just remember, automatically paying above market because a nanny thinks she deserves it because she wants a high paying job does not result in a higher quality nanny. There are no licenses or other checks and balances to guarantee the nanny you hired above market rate is, in fact, as experienced or qualified as she says. So, due diligence is required on all sides. Parents need to carefully research they market rates in their area and price their job accordingly. They should know what they want and have a firm rate in mind and only interview candidates who understand that. Professional nannies who want to earn above market rates should look for those jobs and bring all the evidence with them (portfolio, certifications) that they are worth more than market rates. Professional nannies should also understand market rates and understand that just because they had earned a high rate due to longevity at a past job with raises means they will start the next job at the rate they left. The job sets the rate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went from $16 to $20 when the second baby was born. I stayed. If I'd been at $20 to start I'd have expected a $1-$2 raise. I do think if you can bring her up to $20 that is much more in line for a great nanny who has sole charge of two-under-two.

A four dollar increase is within reason. Two dollars is certainly not.

A 2$/hr raise is over 10%. This is a huge raise. Most standard raises, in every other field, ranges from 3-5%, tops, on a yearly basis. Since another baby in no way means double the work, expecting triple a yearly raise is crazy. Expecting even more than that (4$/hr is ridiculous) shows what an uneducated non professional you are and I can guarantee you will always be looking for work.

Smart nannies understand economics and price themselves on the best end of market rates and know how and when to request rate increases.

Sometimes you have to give a generous raise when you discover your rates are under market, though. $20/hr is absolutely standard for two-under-two; maybe even a little low but certainly not offensive. With all of the responsibilities of that type of job, (which, have you ever done it? With kids that weren't yours?) do you really want to underpay and not get the most qualified or experienced or reliable person you can??

Sure, if you were paying under market, and the nanny turns out to be great and you want to give a generous raise, that's great. But that wasn't OP's issue. She is paying $17 for one child. In DC that is standard. If she goes up to $19/hr, she has given a very generous raise, and is also still within the average market rate in the area. That's how things should work. I don't know where you live but $20/hr is not low for two kids in DC, unless you're talking about a share, which I think should be higher because working with two separate families is an extra complication. However, the job of taking care of two small children in and of itself is not difficult nor is it worth $25/hr in this area. It just isn't.

I think you bring up a good point about qualifications and experience. This is where it gets flexible for nannies and allows them to attempt to command above market rates. Different families want different things. Some families want a nanny with ECE qualifications or SN experience. If you aren't getting candidates with those qualifications, you will have to pay above market. Just remember, automatically paying above market because a nanny thinks she deserves it because she wants a high paying job does not result in a higher quality nanny. There are no licenses or other checks and balances to guarantee the nanny you hired above market rate is, in fact, as experienced or qualified as she says. So, due diligence is required on all sides. Parents need to carefully research they market rates in their area and price their job accordingly. They should know what they want and have a firm rate in mind and only interview candidates who understand that. Professional nannies who want to earn above market rates should look for those jobs and bring all the evidence with them (portfolio, certifications) that they are worth more than market rates. Professional nannies should also understand market rates and understand that just because they had earned a high rate due to longevity at a past job with raises means they will start the next job at the rate they left. The job sets the rate.

I'm from Seattle, where two child jobs go for $20-$24 on average, so fair point. Markets are different. We also agree that she does not need to pay $25/hr for excellent care!

[Anonymous]

At the very minimum $1.50-2.00